Minolta AF 35 Big Finder: My Party Camera

Like all the cameras I currently own, I bought it in a second-hand shop: I saw it and it looked very solid and resistant. Moreover, it looked very easy to use, since it’s totally automatic and I wanted something very easy for my first camera.

When I went to my usual second-hand shop, there was a pair of cameras which caught my eye; but since I could only buy one, I assessed the advantages and disadvantages of each and ended up buying the Minolta AF 35 Big Finder. I was a little scared of its low price, and because I didn’t know how this kind of camera’s results are, so I wanted to finish the first roll as soon as possible.

I bought the camera at a time when there were a lot of parties. We had a lot of holidays and bridges at the university, so we could party every week. Even if I don’t usually like taking the camera to night parties and shooting in discotheques, one night I took it in my bag accidentally, and when I developed them, the results were pretty good.

I guess that the burned edges and the grainy aspect of the photos helped me in having this opinion, and taking into account that I only paid €1 for it and that it looks a very resistant camera, I decided to appoint it my “Official Party Camera.”

With the second roll, which I also used in parties, the results bored me pretty much: I didn’t like the colors and they weren’t very sharp, so that changed my opinion about the camera. After this disappointment, with my third roll, the camera gave me some problems: the film got stuck and the camera stopped shooting. Since there is no advance wheel and the film advance is automatic, I went to the toilet, and in absolute darkness, I took the film out and put it back again. And that was when I got the best results: doubles and red shades that I really liked.

I shot the last photos of my third roll to depict the steady and relaxed Vitoria, not the one of the night. I really loved the results, especially the colors, but the disaster came when the camera suddenly died. It suddenly stopped from shooting, and it looks like there’s nothing to do about it.

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@renrep, I know it sound rare, but the batteries were very new (I had only osed them for 3 rolls), buuttt...... I've changed them and now it does work! God, you're my saver, theanks a lot! Now, I feel stupid... how could I not think on that? Thanks again!

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